Zipcar launches Zipvan pilot

Zipcar, the leading car sharing network, has announced a pilot in San Francisco that includes full size cargo vans through a new offering called Zipvan. The vans will allow consumers to transport items too bulky for cars or pickup trucks, and give small businesses a new and more affordable option for transporting goods.
March 26, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
3874 Zipcar, the leading car sharing network, has announced a pilot in San Francisco that includes full size cargo vans through a new offering called 4345 Zipvan. The vans will allow consumers to transport items too bulky for cars or pickup trucks, and give small businesses a new and more affordable option for transporting goods. This pilot programme is in response to the performance of the van service currently being offered by Zipcar's UK operations and a Zipcar member survey indicating that nearly 40 per cent of members surveyed would be likely to use Zipvan if available.

By early next month, a total of 15 Ford E-150 cargo vans vehicles will be located throughout San Francisco and Oakland. The vans can be reserved by Zipcar members for hourly or daily use with rates starting from $14.75 per hour and $99 per day, which include gas, insurance, parking, roadside assistance and up to 180 miles of driving per day. Access to the vans is self-serve, so members won't experience the hassles of long lines, paperwork and additional charges associated with traditional van rental.

Zipcar has seen strong utilisation of its cargo van service in London, which has been operating for more than three years as Streetvan (part of Streetcar, a company Zipcar acquired in 2010). During this short-term pilot programme in San Francisco, Zipcar will analyse the performance of Zipvan and member feedback on the programme. Based on these results, the company says it may launch the service in select US and Canadian markets during 2012.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Zipcar and Regus team up to offer new car sharing program
    April 5, 2013
    In the US, a new car-sharing program provides businesses with on-demand access to both vehicles and office space. The Zipcar car sharing network, and workspace provider Regus have teamed up to offer a new national program to help businesses of all sizes across the country save money by paying only for what they use. Regus offers their customers the freedom of working when and where they want, while, by giving users on-demand access to a car, Zipcar for Business offers all the benefits of car ownership with
    Read More
  • Substantial savings from smarter street lighting
    February 25, 2015
    As authorities strive to reduce expenditure and carbon emissions, Colin Sowman looks at some of the smart ways of managing street lighting while containing costs and maintaining safety. Street lighting can account for 40% of an authority’s energy consumption. So, faced with the need to reduce outgoings, some authorities are looking for smart ways of managing street lighting or even turning off swathes of street lights in the small hours. Back in 2008 the E-street Initiative report concluded that authorities
    Read More
  • DriveWyze wireless Preclear system speeds weighstation waiting
    March 1, 2013
    Drivewyze aims to revolutionise the way weighstation bypass systems work with its Pre-Clear system. And it’s not just looking at weighstations, either… Pete Goldin reports. Truck drivers know the drill: pull off the high­way at every weighstation and wait. Carriers know the drill, too: every minute spent waiting there translates directly into dollars lost. Traditionally, the only alternative to this scenario is a transponder-based system, which allows trucks to bypass the sites using technology similar to
    Read More
  • Using electricity to power road freight
    October 22, 2014
    Next year sees the start of the first real-life electrified road system for transporting freight. Worldwide freight transportation is predicted to double by 2050 but despite expansion of global rail infrastructure only one third of this additional freight transport can be handled by trains. This means that the largest proportion of freight transport will continue to be by road and as a result, experts expect global CO2 emissions from road freight traffic to more than double by 2050.
    Read More

Highlighted Content